Harmonica



June 16, 1953 J. WEST ETAL HARMONICA Filed July 30, 1948 INVENTORS LI :15 eph West Tla ck Brook 5]] ank BY M 1 IIIIII/f/ ATTORNEY Patented June16, 1953 HARMONICA Joseph West, Finchley, London, and Jack Brooksbank,Morden, England Application July 30, 1948, Serial No. 41,684 In GreatBritain April 23, 1948 Claims. 1

This invention relates to harmonicas and is directed towards theconstruction of an improved construction which enables the number ofparts to be reduced greatly in relation to the construction heretoforeemployed.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a harmonica having incombination a singlepiece body provided with blow holes, reed slots,sound chambers and reed-receiving grooves, and removable reeds fitted insaid grooves.

In the preferred construction the reeds singly or in groups are providedwith dove-tailed ends fitting into corresponding grooves in the body.

The harmonicas of the present invention are particularly suitable formoulding from synthetic resins and other suitable materials knowncommercially as plastics.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective rear view, partly in section, of a preferredconstruction of harmonica according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the way in which the reeds fit intothe body,

Fig. 3 shows a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 shows a section taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

In the harmonica illustrated we have a singlepiece body A in which blowholes 4, sound chambers 6, reed slots 1 and dovetails 8 are moulded inone operation.

The reeds B are formed with blades 9 and I0 which extend from dovetailend portions 9, 10 which fit into corresponding grooves 8 and are ofgreater depth and breadth at the dovetail ends than for the remainder oftheir lengths. When the reed is in position the air slot 1 is sealed bythe end portions 9, l0, leaving the blade of the reed free to vibrate inthe slot.

The blades 9' of the reeds B are so positioned relative to the head ofthe reed that when the blade is moulded in line with the narrowest faceof the dovetail 9 the reed represents a draw reed. Similarly when theblade ID of the reed is moulded in line with the widest face of thedovetail I0 the reed represents a blow reed. The thickness of the headof the reed is sufficient to allow the blades 9, l0 of the reeds, whenassembled to the body, to be in a relative position on the chamber side6 of the slot 1 or the blow hole side 4 of the slot 1 respectively toallow them to function as a draw or blow reed respectively, as shown inFig. 4 and Fig. 5.

We claim:

1. A harmonica comprising, in combination, a single-piece molded bodyhaving blow holes, sound chambers, reed slots between said blow holesand sound chambers, and dovetailed reedreceiving grooves at one end ofsaid reed slots and openin through one side of the body, and reedsextending from dovetailed base portions which are removably fitted insaid grooves.

2. A harmonica comprising, in combination, a

body having blow holes, sound chambers, reed slots between said blowholes and sound cham bers, and dovetailed reed-receiving grooves at oneend of said slots and opening through one side of the body, andindividual reeds extending from dovetailed bases removably fitted insaid grooves, said reeds being of greater depth at their dovetailed endsthan for the remainder of their lengths.

3. A harmonica comprising, in combination, a body having blow holes,sound chambers, reed slots between said blow holes and sound chambersand dovetailed reed-receiving grooves at one end of said slots andopening through one side of the body, and individual reeds extendingfrom dovetailed bases removably fitted in said grooves, said reeds beingof greater depth and breadth at their dovetail ends than for theremainder of their length.

4. A harmonica, comprising a molded onepiece body portion formed with apartition having blow holes and sound chambers, slots formed in thepartition to afiord communication between the blow holes and the soundchambers, undercut grooves formed in the partition in line with andwider than the slots, and removable single reeds, one end of the reedsbeing wider and thicker than the main portions of said reeds and theside walls of the wider and thicker ends being bevelled to fit in theundercut grooves.

5. A harmonica, comprising a molded onepiece body portion formed with acentral partition formed with blow holes in the front edge and closed atthe rear edge, the central partition forming in the body portion upperand lower sound chambers, the partition having slots which communicatewith the upper and lower sound chambers and the blow holes, the rearupper and lower surfaces of the partition having under-cut grooves inline with and wider than the slots, reeds having their rear ends widerthan the body portion of said reeds, the widened ends of the reeds beingseated in and confined in the undercut grooves, and the body portionsextending over the slots.

JOSEPH WEST. JACK BROOKSBANK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 173,652 Lightsinger Feb. 15, 1876 254,882 Munroe Mar. 14, 1882471,183 Miller Mar. 22, 1892 1,269,511 Roberge June 11, 1918 1,577,899Dusinberre Mar. 23, 1926 1,817,109 Stein et a1 Aug. 4, 1931 2,572,818Rosenheim Oct. 23, 1951 2,620,702 West et a1 Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 526,662 France of 1921

